


Erec and Enid's Party

by kathkin



Series: Summerpornathon 2009 [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 1940s, AU, Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-30
Updated: 2009-07-30
Packaged: 2017-12-17 22:46:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathkin/pseuds/kathkin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For challenge 3 at the 2009 summerpornathon: AUs. Set in 1949.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Erec and Enid's Party

They arrived at Erec and Enid’s party around nine, and stood on the step for what seemed like an age after ringing the doorbell. Morgana stood and fidgeted and adjusted her neat curls, then finally turned to Arthur.

“We weren’t invited to dinner,” she said.

“Yes,” he said, with a little shrug. “And?”

“Vivian and her husband were invited to dinner,” she said. “I wonder why. Maybe we weren’t wanted.”

“They still had us to the party,” he said. But she just sighed, and fidgeted a little more, so he slipped his hand in hers and leaned in close. “Calm down,” he said. “They don’t have a big dining room. I’m sure that’s all it was. So calm down and enjoy the party. It’s a momentous day, after all. End of a decade. Just think. It’ll soon be 1950.” With that he slipped an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“And just think,” she said. “By next New Year we’ll be married.” He stilled, suddenly very quiet. She twisted her head round to face him. “Won’t we?”

“Yes,” he said, with a rather forced smile. “Yes, I suppose we shall.”

Then the door was finally answered, and they were pulled inside, where it was warm, and bright, with music seeping in from another room.

“Oh, there they are!” cried Enid as they were ushered into the room. She set down her glass on the nearest table, and rushed over, skirt a-flutter. “You must let me see the ring, Morgana – and Arthur! I could hardly believe it when I heard! Engaged to be married!”

“I must say, we never thought you’d settle down,” said Erec, draping an arm across his wife’s shoulders. “Not after – well.” His eyes flicked to Morgana, and he settled for just smiling knowingly.

“It’s quite alright, Erec,” said Morgana. “I’ve heard the stories of his exploits as well.”

“Who hasn’t?” said Enid. She took Morgana by the hand. “Come, darling, let me get you a drink.”

Arthur glanced around the room, and cleared his throat. “Lancelot here yet?” he said. “I hear he’s back from his honeymoon.”

“Oh, they’re coming on from another party, so they won’t be here till later,” said Erec. “Now, let’s get you a drink, old fellow – what’ll it be? Champagne?”  
  
–

Even though he hardly knew any of the people there, Arthur managed to hold it together for about two hours, making small talk with complete strangers, and watching as Morgana chatted merrily with all her old friends.

He found himself blissfully distracted from someone’s dull anecdote about some show they’d seen at the theatre last weekend, and how theatre these days wasn’t a patch on what it used to be, when Morgana and Enid hurried to the door, with a happy and slightly tipsy cry of ‘Gwen!’.

Arthur excused himself hurriedly (and probably rather rudely), and made his way to the door. He hadn’t seen Lancelot since he’d been married – off gallivanting around Europe or somesuchlike.

“I’m _so_ sorry we couldn’t make the wedding, Gwen dear,” Enid was saying as he arrived. “It’s just – well, you know how it is, what with Erec’s business and all –”

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” said Gwen. “And the honeymoon was simply _wonderful_ , Morgana, you must here all about it – but we brought a friend, Enid. I hope that’s alright.”

“Oh?” said Enid, frowning. “Is it… anyone I know?”

“I don’t think so, no,” said Gwen. “It’s just – he’s a good friend of ours, and he was just going to go home and spend the evening all alone, and it would have felt so _rude_ to just let him – he’s in the hallway with Lancelot, hanging up his hat,” she said.

“Oh, that’s fine, dear-” Enid began. But Arthur didn’t catch the rest of what she said.

Because then the door opened, and Lancelot came in, followed by…Merlin.

Merlin, who looked quite out of place in Erec and Enid’s front room, Merlin looking around nervously. Merlin, whose gaze had just fallen on Arthur.

Their eyes met.

“Lancelot!” said Arthur. He took his friend’s hand and began to shake it rather too roughly. “Haven’t seen you in a while. How was the honeymoon?”

“Glorious,” said Lancelot, beaming at his new wife. “So I hear you’re engaged?”

Behind him, Merlin slipped unnoticed into the corner.  
  
–

And he stayed as such for the next half hour… or Arthur thought he must have done. All he knew was that he happened to glance towards the door, and see a horribly familiar skinny shape vanishing out into the hallway.

He caught Merlin just as he was fetching his hat, and took hold of his wrist. “You’re leaving already?” he said.

“I wasn’t really invited, you know,” said Merlin.

“That doesn’t mean you’re not…” Arthur trailed off, then cleared his throat and tried again. “Look, about what happened last summer –” Merlin’s eyes widened, and he wrenched his wrist away.

“Happy New Year,” he said, and donned his hat.

But when he turned to open the door, Arthur stopped him again, this time moving between him and the way out, blocking the way with his body.

“Morgana’s just in there,” he said.

“I know,” said Merlin.

“We’re going to be married,” said Arthur. “She’s going to be my _wife_ , Merlin.”

“I know,” said Merlin, eyes downcast.

“But –” Arthur swallowed. “But I don’t want _her_ , Merlin. I used to. I wanted her for _years_ before she’d have me, and then, and then – then we – ever since I was with you, I haven’t wanted her. It’s like –” he stretched out one hand to touch Merlin’s face. “It’s like you’ve… cast a spell on me.”

Merlin muttered something which might have been ‘I’m sorry’, but Arthur wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure about anything any more. All he knew was that he was pushing Merlin back down the hallway, back into the triangle of shadows beneath the staircase, until he had him against the wall.

Then their lips met, a brief, messy kiss that really shouldn’t have left him weak at the knees.

“This,” he said, as Merlin’s hands pushed his jacket down off his shoulders. “This is wrong.”

“I know,” said Merlin. “I know.” His hands moved down, fumbling with the button of Arthur’s trousers. And Merlin himself was so skinny that Arthur could slip a hand down past his waistband without undoing anything at all.

They fell into an odd sort of rhythm, Merlin’s hand on him and his on Merlin, leaning on each other and clutching each other, little moans and grunts that seemed to much louder than the music from the gramophone next door.

Then it ended suddenly, too soon, and Arthur found himself standing in the hallway of a stranger’s house, hand covered in, in… he burned with shame.

Merlin produced a handkerchief from somewhere, and began to wipe them both clean carefully, staring intently at his feet.

“Do you remember what I said?” said Arthur. “In Bournemouth?”

Merlin nodded. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Thank you,” said Arthur. “Will you – will you come back in? It’s just a few more minutes now.”

Merlin looked up at him at last, and shook his head. “When’s the wedding?” he said softly.

“February,” said Arthur as Merlin gently buttoned up the trousers of his suit. “Valentine’s day.”

Merlin let out a little laugh (or it might have been a sob), and tucked the handkerchief away into his own pocket. “Good luck,” he said, so very sincerely.

“Thanks,” said Arthur.

As he turned away, he reached out to squeeze Merlin’s shoulder, but caught his neck instead, bare skin instead of cloth, and he heard him gasp, but turned away.

Merlin watched as he shrugged his suit jacket back on, and caught a brief snatch of sound from inside as the door opened –

“Here’s to the new year, folks! Five – four – three – two – one –”  
  
 


End file.
